What Is The “Glass Skin” Beauty Trend All Over Instagram & How Do You Get It?
It feels like if you blink then you’ll miss the latest beauty trend taking over the world and I’m actually relatively late jumping on the bandwagon for the new coveted skin texture: glass skin.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, glass skin is all about clear, smooth, luminous skin that appears almost transparent — similar to a pane of glass. Like most viral skin trends, glass skin has roots in Korean beauty, becoming popular a few years back and in the past year the minimal look has been increasingly embraced by Western skincare enthusiasts.
Glass skin is all about layering a bunch of super hydrating products, adding a few extra steps to your skincare routine to ensure your skin is deeply moisturised. The trend’s aim is to make your skin glow from within, rather than from just applying some additional highlighter or bronzer.
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So why is glass skin so popular? We spoke to Charlotte Tilbury’s niece and celebrity makeup artist Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury about why the trend has gained a cult following.
“It’s all about creating a super moisturised, glow-boosted complexion that’s full of luminosity using skincare and makeup! It’s where you add glow to the areas of the face you want to give more radiance, so the complexion is illuminated in a way that makes you look fresh and healthy! It’s not too ‘done’, it’s meant to look like you’ve just woken up.”
To mirror the desired look, it often involves a lot of different products, applied in a regimented daily skincare routine. “The key to achieving glass skin is skincare! Smooth skin texture, clarity and masses of hydration are essential for this trend,” Sofia told us.
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“To start, I’d use Charlotte’s new Super Radiance Resurfacing Facial, which is perfect for polished, fresh looking skin…It’s an acid exfoliator with a targeted blend of ingredients that resurface, exfoliate dead skin cells and leave skin with an instant gleaming glow. It makes my skin look smoother and my pores look tighter, so I literally feel like I have baby skin! It also helps my skincare to sink in more effectively, and my makeup glides on like a dream!! I only use the resurfacer once a week, but I always double cleanse every morning and evening with Charlotte’s Goddess Cleansing Ritual to keep my skin looking deeply cleansed and to remove any impurities and dirt that build up.
“Next, to achieve a lit-from-within complexion, you need to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I love to layer my skincare products, so the skin looks plump and full of moisture! Firstly, infuse with a hydrating serum. Everyone I work with is obsessed with Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir! It is formulated with polyglutamic acid — which is four times more hydrating than hyaluronic acid — then golden vitamin C to brighten and even the look of the skin, as well as niacinamide to tighten pores and help balance oilier skin types. It creates this beautiful, smooth, hydrated dream filter effect on the skin!
“After working that in for a good minute or so, I always finish by moisturising with Charlotte’s Magic Cream moisturiser. It’s the product I couldn’t live without…Once you’ve got a really nourished, hydrated, plump-looking canvas from your skincare, you’re over halfway to that gorgeous glass skin look!”
I was intrigued to see if I could achieve this look, so I spent a month applying products that are all about adding moisture, namely Charlotte Tilbury’s Serum Crystal Elixir and Magic Cream. I took a before/after photo from applying the products every day for a month. As you can see, my skin became noticeably more hydrated and while I wouldn’t say my skin looked like glass, my skin tone was clearer, less red/pigmented and I definitely looked extra glowy.
My skin was definitely more hydrated, but in all honesty, I don’t think I will ever be able to replicate the completely clear complexion that glass skin demands, as I have slight rosacea and pigmentation — and that’s OK! This skin trend really only caters to genetically blessed people with perfect, unblemished skin.
Glass skin may not be for everyone, however taking time to add some extra steps in your skincare routine to boost hydration is something we can all get around.
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Header via @emilydoes_makeup.